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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · sharp · saw · straw · fork · perch · ruler · lean

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com